Obsession
by Jenny70529
Summary: An incident at a crime scene leads to an unexpected relationship between Greg and Sara. R
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: They aren't mine. I want them, but they aren't mine. _

_Author's Notes: This is an idea I started last summer...and it got pushed aside after Hurricane Rita. I happened to find it while going through some old disks, and I figured I'd go ahead and finish/post it. Let me know what you think, and if I should continue. _

_Jenny_

**Obsession:**

Greg leaned against the passenger seat, staring out the window with a slight pout, "I just don't see why Grissom gets to work the triple, alone, and there's two of us working a single."

"Stop acting like a baby, we're almost there," Sara replied with a sigh, "Grissom's the boss, what he says goes. If he decided we needed to work on the disappearance of a tarantula from the pet store while he worked all of the murders in Vegas, we'd start searching the tanks at the pet store and questioning the scorpions."

Greg looked up at Sara with wide eyes, "Don't even suggest that, I could see him having us do that."

"Oh, shut up," Sara snapped, "My point is, we're stuck with whatever he gives us. Today, it happens to be a db, tomorrow, who knows? It's too late now to change your assignment, suck it up and put on a new attitude."

Greg leaned over to change the radio station, glancing at Sara with a smirk, "Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed tonight."

"We're here." Sara replied, glaring at him while trying to decide whether to be amused or annoyed. They both reached into the trunk to get their kits, and Sara reeled back, making a face and waving her hand in front of her face, "Where did you buy your cologne, Greg? It reeks! You've got to stop buying that stuff from the dollar store."

"I didn't buy it from the dollar store, for your information, it's not as nice as the stuff I normally buy, but it's not some cheap brand either. I took a pay cut, remember?" Greg replied bristly, shutting the latch behind them, "You're not even wearing perfume, if anyone should complaining, it should be me," Seeing Sara's narrowed gaze, he hastily added, "Not that you smell, of course..."

"I'm not wearing perfume because not being able to smell anything besides your 99 cent cologne interferes with our skills as CSIs." Sara retorted as they walked towards Brass.

"The body's this way," Brass told Greg and Sara as they met in front of the small brown trailer, "Female, mid-to-late twenties, identified as Morgan Callahan. The call came in from her coworker, Mitzi Marshall, who was Callahan's ride to work. She honked the horn several times, Callahan didn't respond, she knocked on the doors and windows, and when she didn't get an answer, she tried to open the door, it was unlocked. She says she didn't touch anything, and neither have my men. Coroner's on his way."

Sara and Greg stepped past Brass on the tiny, white cement steps and into the trailer. Sara made a face, breathing through her mouth, "What's that awful smell?"

"Would you please stop teasing me about my cologne?" Greg snapped, coming up behind Sara. "Woah, you mean that smell," He said weakly, barely able to suppress his gag reflex.

Sara coughed slightly, trying not to inhale too deeply as they entered the warm, rancid trailer, "It's disgusting."

"Cats," Greg said with a shudder, bringing his hand to cover his mouth and nose, in hopes of lessening the stench of the room "This place smells like my Aunt's house, she had five cats, and the place always reeked of litter box. What's that other smell? Rotten chicken, spoiled milk?"

Sara nodded, looking at the trash on the floor, dishes piled high in the sink, and laundry, dirty, scattered over every surface possible. "Think this was trashed or she just lived like this?"

"People live this way?" Greg questioned, his eyes also wandering around the room, "Is that milk or cottage cheese?" he asked, pointing to a small dish on the counter, "Or do I even want to know?" He asked, his voice fading slightly, as was the color in his face.

Sara shook her head, taking a deep breath through her mouth to fight the nausea washing through her as she noticed the mouse droppings on the counter, along with, from what she counted, 19 soda cans, 4 empty glasses, and 8 used bowls, some still containing food.

"How does she find anything in this place?" Sara questioned, cautiously walking towards the bedroom, "I'm pretty sure we can rule out robbery, no burglar would waste their time on a place like this."

"It would be a good rouse, though," Greg suggested, "After all, she wouldn't know what was missing or not."

Sara shrugged, "That's true. Greg, I want you to check the perimeter, all doors and windows, all possible points of entry. It may not be a bad idea to crawl underneath the trailer and look for anything out of the ordinary--"

"You really expect me to go down there? You've seen this place, do you think underneath it is any better? There's probably a mound of garbage just holding this tin can up!" Greg exclaimed, "There's no way I'm going down there. Have you fallen on your head recently?"

Ignoring his protests, Sara continued, "Check for any tire marks that did not come from a police vehicle, anything that could have been dropped by our suspect. Photograph everything, multiple angles, close-up. Once you're finished with that, use a new roll to photograph the interior. Label--"

"I know, label and seal everything. I've been doing this for a few months, Sara, you can trust me." Greg replied, his voice filling with barely-hidden indignation, "If you're going to torture me, you can at least treat me like an adult instead of some irresponsible child."

Sara rolled her eyes, "It's my job as Lead CSI to instruct you on what to do. I'm just making sure your directions are thorough."

"A kindergartner could follow your instructions, Sara." Greg retorted, annoyance rapidly creeping into his tone.

With a smirk, Sara replied, "Precisely," before disappearing into the victim's bedroom. "Oh, and Greg?" She called out over her shoulder, "If I was really looking to torture you, I'd make you stay in here, okay?"

Taking a deep breath, then choking over it, Greg sighed, "Point taken."

Sara shone her flashlight into the bedroom, carefully creeping along the wall. Normally she would tell others that moving against the wall would help prevent her from contaminating any evidence, but now she was mostly worried about what was underneath all of the garbage.

Her fears were confirmed when a tiny brown mouse ran from underneath the pile of clothes Sara had just dodged, causing Sara to jump back in surprise while Brass let out a quiet profanity, stepping back as well.

"Greg was right, who lives like this?" Sara asked, kicking at the pile of trash in hopes of avoiding another sudden surprise visitor.

Brass shook his head, wiping his forehead with a handkerchief in a vain attempt to remove the sweat and cool himself off, "We're not here to understand how she lived. We're here to understand how she died."

Flashing Brass a smile, Sara entered the bedroom, not too surprised to see it in similar disarray.

"What's the ETA on the coroner?" Sara asked, taking several pictures of the victim, trying to capture it from every angle possible, "This poor woman...she probably never saw him coming."

Morgan Callahan laid face down on her bed, wearing what used to be a cream-colored top and a brown skirt. The skirt was bunched up near her waist, a single glance verifying that she was raped. Sara squatted in front of the body, swabbing the semen pooled on the sheets, "Anyone who's in the system already won't leave such obvious DNA behind."

"The victim works for the insurance department of a local trucking company. She's had several complaints filed against her, several threats made. I already contacted her employers, they're going to pull her file for us to research anyone who may have wanted to do her in," Brass supplied, checking his notepad for the specific details, "Coroner should be here within the next five minutes."

Sara pulled out her fingerprinting powder and brush, trying to decide where to begin searching for any evidence the killer may have left behind. She hadn't made much progress by the time David arrived to collect the body, and while he did what he had to do with the body, she began to search for potential evidence in Morgan's bedroom.

She was dusting the wall near the bed for prints when she heard a loud crash, the trailer swaying slightly. She moved towards the front of the trailer, hand on her gun, speeding up when she heard Greg's shouts. By the time she reached the front door, Brass and his men were already outside, Brass giving orders to his men while summoning an ambulance over his radio.

"What's going on?" Sara asked, walking towards Brass, the nervousness audible in her voice. She stopped as she saw who Brass and his men were standing over, paling slightly, "Oh God, Greg."

_TBC_


	2. Chapter 2

Hey guys, thank you for all of the wonderful replies I got to chapter one...they inspired me write quickly to get the next part out. Hope you enjoy! Let me know what you think!

Obsession: Chapter Two:

Sara nervously paced around the emergency room, the hand holding her cell phone white from the amount of pressure she was putting on the poor device, "What do you mean I shouldn't have left the scene? Are you insane?"

"There's no one to cover you, Sara, I know you're worried about Greg, but someone's got to finish at the scene." Grissom explained calmly, "I'm just as worried about Greg as you are, but waiting at the hospital doing nothing isn't going to solve anything."

Sara clenched her free fist, shaking her head angrily, "Gris--"

"Go back to the scene Sara, have someone contact you when there's word on Greg." Grissom replied, "When I talked to Brass, he said it wasn't too serious."

Barely able to avoid a major blowup, Sara hissed through clenched teeth, "He's got a strip of metal embedded in his side. We don't even know yet if it's hit any vital organs. Greg could die, and you're telling me that it isn't serious?"

"You need to calm down."

Aghast at the absurdity of his statement, Sara shut her phone, quickly shutting it off before Grissom could call back. She clenched her fists again, wishing she had something to hit. She hadn't felt this angry in a long, long time. Walking to the window, she stared out into Vegas traffic, shaking her head with an incredulous laugh. Like she would abandon one of her friends at a time like this. What kind of monster did he think she was? What was she supposed to do? She couldn't just watch him be loaded into the ambulance and then go back to printing the victim's bedroom.

She hadn't been able to get a straight answer out of Brass, possibly because he didn't know exactly what had happened, but from what she had been able to piece together, it had been an odd, freak accident.

Greg had crawled through a side panel to get through the skirting of the trailer, propping the opening open with a cement block that had been on the side of the driveway. He had noticed the rusty, sharp edges and had commented to one of the officers that they needed to hang around closely in case he needed help getting out safely.

The details after that were a bit sketchy. All Brass could tell her was that someone on a four-wheeler had broken through the crime scene tape, tried to take a shot at one of the officers, and discharged his weapon as he fell to the ground. The shot had hit the side of the trailer, right about the same time Greg was coming from underneath it. All Brass could assume was that the officers were too busy chasing down the suspect to notice Greg needed assistance, and as he was pulling himself out, he got caught on a rusty piece of the panel. He tried to extract himself, but only ended up driving the metal shard deeper into his skin. Brass heard him screaming, and rushed to his assistance, but the damage was already done.

There had been a lot of blood. The blood was the first thing Sara had seen, and quite possibly an image she'd never be able to forget. She hadn't even had time to think before demanding that she be allowed to ride with Greg to the hospital. It wasn't until Brass showed up with her SUV that she even realized she had left her vehicle at the scene.

Greg was conscious when the paramedics arrived, but on the way to the hospital, he had passed out, either from pain or the amount of blood he was losing. Because removing the shard of metal could do more harm than good, they were only able to apply pressure to the wound and keep him stable until a surgeon could determine of the object had punctured any organs. He had been quickly whisked to the back, leaving a frantic Sara in the waiting area.

Her anger with Grissom slowly began to fizzle out, and dejectedly, she sat in a corner chair, pulling out her phone and dialing Nick's cell phone. Grissom was right, someone needed to work the scene. It wasn't going to be her, but someone had to be out there.

"Stokes."

"Hey, it's me." Sara said nervously, "Were you sleeping?"

Nick yawned into the phone, and Sara cringed. She hated to wake him up after he had already worked his 10 hours for the city. "I'm awake. What's up?"

"There was an accident at my scene tonight--"

"Are you okay?" Nick replied, sounding fully awake now, "What happened?"

Sara sighed, "I don't know exactly what happened. Greg was hurt, he's in the emergency room right now, they haven't told me anything."

"Do you need me to come down there?" Nick asked worriedly.

Sara rubbed her forehead in an attempt to drive away an impending headache, "Well, not exactly. Grissom's being a complete ass tonight, he wants me to go back and work the scene. I'm not leaving Greg here by himself."

"Give me the address." Nick replied, searching for a tablet to write on, "I'll finish up there and come meet you at the hospital."

Relieved, Sara leaned back in her chair, "Thank you so much. I owe you big time. It's at 712 Canterbury square. Brass is the detective on the case. Oh Nicky, you don't know how much this means to me."

"I know you'd do the same for me." Nick replied, "See you in a bit."

"Thanks."

Sara hung up the phone, feeling slightly better about the situation. She stood, walking back towards the window with a worried glance at the clock. Greg had been taken back nearly an hour ago, and there was still no news. That couldn't be a good sign. Leaning her head against the cool glass, she desperately fought tears. She wasn't sure where this surge of emotion was coming from, but it was very intense. She and Greg had been working closely since he fully transferred from the lab to the field, and they had created a very strong bond. The idea that something could be seriously wrong with him felt like someone dropping an anvil on her chest.

Her phone rang, and she cursed when she saw it was Grissom. Flipping it open, she barked, "What?"

"Are you still at the hospital?"

"It's all taken care of. Nick's going to go to the scene, I'm going to wait on news about Greg." Sara said testily, not missing the condescending tone her supervisor was using with her, "I'm not leaving."

Grissom sighed, "I told _you_ to go back to the scene."

"I told _you_ I wasn't going to do it." Sara snapped, "Greg's my friend, I'm not going to leave him here alone. If you're too insensitive to care about your employees, it's not my problem, but just because you're a heartless jerk doesn't mean that I have to be one too."

Grissom's tone changed from patronizing to annoyed in just a few short moments as he snapped, "Sara, your attitude right now is unacceptable."

"Go ahead and fire me, then." Sara replied angrily, shocked as the words came out of her mouth, but unable to stop them, "What are you waiting for? It's not like Greg's going to be coming to work. I can't believe your damn crime scene is more important than Greg's health!"

"I never said that it was, I am just reminding you that you are in city time and you have a job to do." Grissom said with a groan, "I'm not going to fire you. What is your problem tonight?"

Sara laughed bitterly, "Did you just ask me what my problem is? Let's see, I was sent to a filthy, disgusting crime scene with Greg, he was injured by something that came off of that vile excuse for a home. Now, he's with a _surgeon_ and my boss wants me to leave without even knowing if he'll be okay. What do you think my problem is, Grissom? What?"

"If Nick's going out there, don't worry about it. Stay with Greg. I didn't want to call swing shift out, but apparently that's the only way this will get handled."

Sara's blood was already boiling, and without thinking, she snapped, "You never have a problem calling me back in when I just got home. Maybe if I move to another shift, you may start to actual care about me and what I need."

"This isn't about you, this is about our responsibility to the lab--"

"Okay, okay. I'm not going to listen to this right now. Nick's at the scene, it's getting processed, he'll sleep later. If you're that worried about it, I'll cover Nick's shift tonight so he can get some rest. I just can't believe you didn't want someone down here with Greg."

"I was almost finished with my scene, I am on my way down there right now. Don't always assume I'm being the bad guy here." Grissom replied calmly, "I'm pulling into the parking garage right now."

"Great." Sara mumbled sarcastically as she snapped her phone closed. That man infuriated her beyond belief sometimes. Sinking back into her chair, she shook her head and moaned. She had just mouthed off to her boss, the one who had saved her from being fired more than once. What was she thinking? Had she actually dared him to fire her?

She pulled her feet onto the chair, resting her head on her knees as she stared out of the window, once again, into the darkness. She had never been so upset with Grissom in the entire time she had known him. Now that her adrenaline was wearing off, she was silently cursing herself for losing her cool. Now, Grissom was going to show up and she'd have to face him after blowing her top with him over the phone. Although, if anyone should be embarrassed, it should be Grissom for even suggesting work at a time like this.

She felt the older man's presence when he walked in the room, although he made no move to speak. Refusing to look at him, she continued to stare out of the window, taking deep calming breaths to keep herself from lashing out to him again. Regardless of how insensitive he could be at times, he didn't deserve to receive her anger, it wasn't him she was really angry at, it was the situation they were in.

Grissom slowly walked over to Sara, sitting down across from her and watching her intently. After a few minutes, he quietly asked, "Are you and Greg in a relationship?"

"What?" Sara asked incredulously, her head shooting up as she looked at him, "What are you talking about?"

"Are you and Greg seeing each other? Is that why you're so upset tonight?" Grissom asked quietly, watching her carefully.

Sara's eyes narrowed, and she slammed her feet to the floor, "I'm upset because I just saw Greg lying on the ground, with a piece of rusty metal sticking out of his skin, bleeding all over the ground, Brass, and myself." She said, pulling back her vest to reveal a blue shirt smeared with blood, "I'm upset because I was in charge and he got hurt under my watch. I'm upset because Greg is one of my best friends. I'm upset because my emotionally stunted boss can't see any of this and is asking me ridiculous questions about some imagined relationship."

"I just had to ask. It's my job as supervisor to know if my employees are in a position to compromise a case." Grissom asked, leaning back in his seat, "Has the doctor been out?"

Sara considered telling Grissom to go to hell and find out on his own, but instead, she maintained her composure and shook her head. Her eyes wandered to the door, and she silently willed the salt-and-peppered haired doctor to make an appearance.

Maybe Grissom had a point. She considered Nick and Warrick her friends, and she'd be upset if they were hurt, but she probably wouldn't fight so hard to see them at once. Sure, she'd wait at the hospital for word, but she wouldn't have been so adamant about staying. Like Nick, she would have taken care of what needed to be done first. Maybe something was different with Greg.

Her hands trembled as she pictured him laying on the cold dirt, tears streaming down his cheeks as he begged someone to help him. Her own eyes prickled with tears as she remembered how terrifying it was to see him slip out of consciousness on the ride over, how panicked she had became when they rushed him back, yelling orders the entire way. Closing her eyes, she pulled her knees back to her chest, crossing her arms and laying her head down.

Greg _was_ different. He was one of the only people who was able to make her smile when she was down, he was one of the only people who valued her opinion and looked up to her as a CSI. Because of his addition to the field, she was no longer the bottom of the totem pole, so to speak, and he had boosted her confidence by being so eager to learn and gain her friendship and respect. He was more than just her best friend. She really cared about him, and it broke her heart to think that he was on the other side of a wooden door, possibly fighting for his life.

Her heart began to race as he hands grew clammy. There was no way. Could it possibly be? Could she actually be in love with Greg Sanders?

Her epiphany was interrupted as the doctor came through the door, walking towards Sara with bloody scrubs, "Miss Sidle?"

_TBC...remember that you still don't know about Greg, so a few replies wouldn't hurt. lol. No, I'm not above bribery._


	3. Chapter 3

Hello readers! Thank everyone for their kind reviews...they really inspired me to write faster (let's face it, it's been months since I've gotten three chapters out in a week). I was nice enough to leave you without a cliffhanger this time, but if comments slack off, I may not be so nice next time. Lol. Thank you for the bribes, they were very entertaining.

If certain parts of this seem incoherent, please let me know, I'm sick with an awful cold-flu-something and I'd be glad to fix anything incorrect. My brilliant beta reader is at work as I'm writing this, so she only proofread the first half of it last night. Thanks Em!

Replies will be rewarded with happy characters. :-)

Jenny

**Chapter Three:**

"Easy now, easy." Sara murmured gently, "Lean against me."

She shifted the weight of Greg's she was already supporting, slightly tightening her grip on the younger man as he stumbled, "I've got you, don't strain yourself."

With a moan, Greg replied weakly, "I can walk up the stairs by myself, I'm a big boy."

"If I let you go, I would put money on the fact that you would fall down the entire flight of stairs." Sara responded with a smirk, "You were so insistent on going home, the least you could do is follow the doctor's orders."

Greg grunted painfully as the duo began the trek up the second flight of stairs, "I'm moving."

"You'll only be sore for a few days, maybe a week." Sara reassured him, pausing to wipe a bit of sweat off her brow, "You need to go on a diet."

"Thanks." Greg muttered, "Let's just forget the fact that I just had a near death experience."

Sara laughed, "It wasn't a 'near death experience'. It was just an experience. The doctor said that you didn't even come close to puncturing an organ."

"I could have bled out." Greg pointed out, his words slightly slurred as an effect of his pain medication, "Of course, if I would have known that getting hurt at a crime scene would make you come home with me, I would have done it ages ago."

Sara rolled her eyes, "Did I mention that I'm just bringing you home? Grissom is going to come stay with you."

Greg stopped, his glassy eyes growing wide, "Are you serious?"

"No." Sara replied with a sly smile, "But I should be, for that remark. Don't ever, ever, do this again. You scared me to death."

They reached the top of the stairs, and Sara gently released Greg's hip, "Keys?"

Greg winced as he reached into his pocket, the slightest movement obviously causing him a great deal of pain. He handed Sara the keys, bracing himself against the wall as she opened the door.

"It's not exactly clean." Greg said, his pale cheeks turning crimson, "It's nothing like that crime scene we were at, but I haven't cleaned up recently."

Flipping the light switch, Sara shook her head with a smile, "It's not that bad. Come on, let's get you into bed. If you want, I can straighten up while you sleep."

"You've wanted to get me into bed all along." Greg laughed, grimacing as his side shook, "Honestly, you don't have to stay with me, you can go back to your place."

Sara shook her head as she led him to his bedroom, "I'm going to stay and take care of you. You heard the doctor, you need the help. Relax and let me help."

"Thank you." Greg replied, sitting on the bed with a groan, "Could you get me a t-shirt and some pants from the top drawer of my dresser?"

Sara smiled coyly, "Oh, you don't want to stay in the hospital scrubs? They're so flattering."

"Funny." Greg replied, taking the shirt and pants as she handed them over. He went to pull off his top, gasping with pain and shutting his eyes quickly as he exhaled.

Sara quickly moved to him, pushing his arm against his side, "Wait, wait. Let me help you. You need to take it easy."

She gently raised his shirt, her face growing hot as she exposed his chest. Her embarrassment was intensified as her fingers brushed against his skin while she eased the shirt off the injured side of his body, "You okay?"

"Hanging in there." Greg hissed through the pain, "How are we going to get the new shirt on?"

"Very carefully." Sara joked, unable to break her gaze away from his bare chest, "I'll take care of you."

She was relieved to see that he didn't look too bad, aside from the white gauze covering his wound. The doctor had instructed her to change the dressing at least three times a day, but she was going to wait until later to even attempt it. She let her eyes linger a bit too long, and her cheeks suddenly felt like they were on fire.

Greg, seeing Sara's embarrassment and taking it as discomfort, raised his eyebrows, "I've seen a lot of porno movies start out just like this." He joked, trying to ease the tension.

"Greg!" Sara exclaimed, nearly dropping his shirt as she slid it up his arm, "I can't believe you!"

Greg smiled, allowing Sara to pull the shirt over his head, "I'm just observing. Did you not say that we have to notice everything? I'm just following your strict rules, Ms. Sidle."

"I don't think it's a good idea to help with your pants." Sara replied with a cough, diverting her eyes as she thrust his pants into his hands, "Do you think you can get it on your own?"

Greg nodded, his voice weak, "I'm sure I can handle it, if I can ignore the horrible pain on my side. I'll be okay, that's what the pills are for, right?"

"No, no, I'll do it." Sara replied with a frown, wondering how she was going to manage to do this without seeing something she shouldn't. "Lay down."

Greg hissed with pain as he eased himself on to his pillow, fighting to keep his heavy eyelids open, "I can stay in the scrubs, if you want."

"That can't be comfortable." Sara replied, untying the waist and hesitating, taking a deep breath as her hand slightly shook.

Greg grinned widely, causing Sara to stop and look at him expectantly, "What?"

"I've seen a lot of porno movies start like this too."

Sara rolled her eyes, "Well, that just proves that you watch too many dirty movies."

"How many is too many?" Greg teased as she slid down his pants, revealing the navy blue boxers he had been wearing when he left for work that evening. He watched as she diverted her eyes from the blood, and sensing her discomfort, he reached out and put his hand over hers, "Hey, it's okay."

"I'm sorry." Sara replied, wiping away a tear that had escaped onto her cheek, "You've been through hell, and here I am being all, I don't know, girly."

Letting his eyes linger on her chest, he smiled, "You are a girl. I'm sorry I scared you."

"Just don't do it again." Sara replied, easing his pants off and reaching for his pajama bottoms. She knelt at his feet, sliding the flannel pants onto his legs, staring down at his scantily clad body with a smile, silently agreeing with Greg's 'porno' comments. She certainly had gotten herself into a uneasy situation.

She managed to get his pants on without brushing against anything she shouldn't be touching. She threw the scrubs in the clothes hamper by the door, and walked back to Greg's bed, "You should get some sleep."

"I am pretty beat." Greg replied with a yawn, "Thanks for staying with me and for helping me."

Sara pulled his covers over him, squeezing his hand with a smile, "I wouldn't dream of being anywhere else. I'll be in the living room, call me if you need anything, okay?"

"Okay." Greg replied, letting his eyes close as fatigue swept through his sore body, "Night."

"Goodnight." Sara replied, quietly walking to the door and shutting off the light.

Once in the living room, Sara sank onto the couch, dropping her head into her hands with a loud sigh. That had been the most frustrating moment of her entire life. There was now no question that she felt something for Greg, although she wasn't sure if it was love, lust, or something completely different. Her body ached to be next to him, she wanted nothing more than to touch his chest once more, to feel his smooth skin against her fingers. Leaning back, she wondered what it would be like to run her fingers through his hair and what it was like to wake up next to him.

She hadn't been this infatuated with anyone since the first time she met Grissom. Of course, what could she do? She had already asked one coworker out on a date, and he hadn't treated her the same since. Was it worth the risk of losing a friend by telling him how she felt? She shook her head, still unsure of what she was going to do about this situation. With a resigned sigh, she stood and walked to the coffee table, where Greg's laundry was piled up. Taking a sniff of the blanket laying on top, she established that it was clean and brought it back to the couch, kicking off her shoes and curling up under the blanket. She'd find answers tomorrow, tonight she needed to get some sleep.

She had only been asleep for half an hour when she heard his terrified screams. Jumping to her feet, Sara rushed into Greg's room, nearly falling over his discarded shoes as she hurried to the bed. She sat down beside him, stroking his hair gently with one hand while placing the other over his wound. The last thing he needed right now was to reopen his stitches because he was thrashing around.

The instant her hands touched his warm skin, he settled, his hand unconsciously covering hers as he moaned for her not to leave. She laid down beside him, careful not to move the bed too much and wake him up. She rolled onto her side, propping her head up against her elbow as she watched his face relax and his breathing even out into slow, deep breaths. Her fingers gently slid through his hair as she herself began to fall asleep. As she drifted to sleep, the only thing on her mind was how right it felt to be right beside Greg, and how attractive he looked, even in sleep.

_TBC...Don't forget to tell me what you think of this so far? Continue?_


	4. Chapter 4

_Author's Notes: Hello all! Thank you for all of the wonderful replies, I enjoyed reading comments from each and every one of you. You guys are wonderful. As always, let me know what you think. Happy St. Patrick's Day!_

_Jenny_

Chapter Four:

Greg moaned softly as he felt something tickle his nose. He turned his head to the side, trying to get away from the nuisance that was disturbing his much needed rest, only to find a lot more of the substance. With a half moan, half whine, he opened his eyes, raising his hand to brush away whatever it was that had invaded his personal space. As soon as he registered what it was, however, he let his hand fall with a quiet thud onto the blanket.

"Sara?" He murmured, instantly recognizing the brown hair. Sure enough, Sara Sidle was laying next to him, in his bed, with her head resting against his shoulder while she slept.

He rubbed his eyes looking around the room to see if something would appear to convince him that this was some sort of dream. There was no way that Sara could be in his bed without him remembering it. He made a move to roll onto his side, hissing as pain ripped through his torso. As his wound began to throb, the events of the previous night quickly came rushing back.

He had felt Sara enter the room, he had heard her soft whispers, although he was too tired and incoherent to fully wake up and acknowledge her presence. She had instantly soothed him, and before he realized what was going on, he had asked her to stay, and she had laid down beside him. He never thought she would say yes. He never thought she would fall asleep beside him. He never thought she would stay the night. Apparently, he was wrong.

He looked down at her sleeping form, and couldn't help but smile. It was hard to believe this serene, beautiful woman could be so quiet and still while she slept, yet so feisty once awake.

This was a fantasy he had dreamed about since the moment he met her. While he didn't believe in love at first sight, he couldn't deny that he had been attracted to her. At the time, nothing could have come from it. She was new, he was young, and both were doing their own thing. Over time, he had tried flirting with her, he had even asked her out a few times, but she always turned him down. She had never been rude, it was just clear that her job came before her personal life. Now that he was working alongside her in the field, he had hoped things would change, although he hadn't made any advances towards her.

He couldn't describe what it was about Sara that made him so infatuated with her, but he knew she had something special. She was smart, witty, and very loyal, all three he found to be necessary in someone he dated. To actually have her laying beside him, the small smile on her lips as she dreamt, was the single most happiest moment he had experienced all year. He hated to get up as nature began to beckon him.

Placing a hand on his side to support his injury, he slowly sat up, cursing softly as pain ripped through his body. He raised his free hand to his forehead, overcome by lightheadedness as he tried to breathe through his agonizing pain.

"You're going to hurt yourself, let me help you." Sara murmured sleepily as she rubbed her eyes, standing and walking to his side of the bed, "You shouldn't be getting out of bed, you need your rest."

Greg pale white cheeks grew tinged with pink as he muttered, "I have to go to the bathroom."

Sara paused for a moment, her own cheeks blushing, before helping him rise, supporting much of his weight as he grew unsteady, "Easy, easy. I've got you, it's okay."

"I hate being so dependent on someone else." Greg muttered, holding tightly to Sara as they slowly made their way to the bathroom, "I'm so sorry."

Sara shook her head, grunting as she supported his weight while trying to open the door, "Don't apologize, I offered, remember? You shouldn't have even been outside in the first place, I should have taken the outside and let you work inside."

"You aren't here because you feel guilty, are you?" Greg asked sharply, the happiness he had felt upon seeing Sara sleeping in his bed quickly dissolving, "It wasn't your fault, don't stay because of that."

Sara's eyes widened as she replied in a hurt tone, "I'm here because you are my friend and I care about you. I can't believe you'd suggest otherwise. That's low, Greg, pretty low."

She helped him into the bathroom, releasing her grip on him as he put one hand against the wall, "Will you be okay, do I need to stay?" she asked, her cheeks now fully flushed.

"I've got it." Greg replied, still picturing the hurt look on Sara's face, "I'll be okay on my own."

Sara shook her head, walking into the hallway. She leaned against the wall, tears in her eyes. She wouldn't deny that she did feel horribly guilty about Greg's accident. She knew that there wasn't anything she could have done to prevent it, it was one of those strange freak accidents that sometimes happened, but she couldn't release the guilt of knowing that if she hadn't sent him outside, he wouldn't be in such pain right now.

That, however, was the last thing on her mind when she offered to stay with him while he recovered. Greg was one of her closest friends, she had been so worried about him, it just seemed natural to stay with him.

She heard the toilet flush, then a few seconds later, the water in the sink started running. She was about to offer her help, when she remembered Greg's hurtful tone. With a sigh, she shook her head. He'd ask for help when he needed it.

The door finally opened, and Greg weakly took a few steps into the hallway, holding on to the doorframe. Spotting Sara, his eyes widened, "You're still here."

"It appears that way." Sara replied, "Need some help?"

Greg looked down for a few seconds before nodding, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Sara replied, wrapping an arm around him and encouraging him to take a few steps, "It's frustrating to have to depend on someone else."

Greg shrugged, "Doesn't give me a right to be a jerk."

"I'll forgive you this time." Sara replied, leading him to his bedroom, "Can I fix you some breakfast? Ready for some of your pain medication?"

"Both would be great, actually. You don't have to cook, though, I've got takeout menus on the counter by the phone, I'll give you a credit card or something." Greg said softly, groaning as he laid down, "You don't have to go through any trouble."

Sara shrugged, "It's not any trouble. I'll be right back with your medicine."

She walked out of the bedroom, sighing as she shut the door behind her. He was just being a typical guy, she couldn't hold that against him. He had been through a rough experience and he was still in a lot of pain. He couldn't be expected to be happy to have someone babying him. At the same time, however, she couldn't help but feel disappointed that he wasn't more receptive to having her in his apartment. Had all of the flirting and teasing at work for the past 5 years been just an act? Did he even consider her a friend? Why was he being so distant now, when last night they had been enjoying each other's company?

In the bedroom, Greg closed his eyes, full of self loathing. This had been a scenario he had imagined for years, yet now that the time had come, he was only pushing her farther and farther away. He hated having to rely on someone else, especially a girl that he liked, to take care of him. He could barely pee on his own. He had never been so disappointed in himself in his entire life. If only he could find a way to make her smile again. She was so happy the previous night, and now she just looked sullen and hurt. There had to be some way that they could both be happy.

Sara walked back into the room, a cup of water in her hand, "Here's your pill and some water. It's almost lunchtime, I ordered us a pizza...you have no food in your pantry."

"You didn't get some sort of veggie pizza, did you?" Greg asked, going for sarcastic humor, but only coming across as bitter. He inwardly groaned as he saw another hurt look wash across her face before being thinly hidden behind the strong mask she always wore.

Sara opened her mouth to ask him what his problem was, but then shut it just as quickly, not wanting to fight with him. She brushed a strand of hair from her face before saying cooly, "Half cheese, half pepperoni. Is that okay with you?"

Greg sighed, "I didn't mean for it to come out so harsh. I don't know what my problem is."

"It's okay."

"No, it's not okay. I hurt your feelings. I'm sorry." Greg insisted, motioning for her to sit, "I hate when I hurt your feelings."

Sara shrugged, not quite meeting his gaze, "Who says you hurt my feelings? I'm not made of glass, I can take it. You're hurt, you're entitled to be cranky."

"Cranky, yes, but not an asshole." Greg replied with a smirk, "This is just a little weird."

"Oh thank God, it's not just me." Sara replied with a relieved smile, "This is pretty new to both of us."

Greg looked at the wall behind her, speaking quietly, "I'm sorry I asked you to sleep with me last night, I was pretty out of it."

"I didn't mind." Sara replied, hesitating before adding quietly, "I, um, sort of liked it."

Greg laughed nervously, holding his side to prevent pain from the jarring movements, "Me too."

They sat in silence for a few minutes, then Sara gave Greg a slight smile, "This is awkward."

"So we both liked it..." Greg replied, nervously tapping on his comforter, "What does that mean?"

"I think it means, this." Sara said softly, her hands shaking as she leaned over and brushed her lips against his.

She started to pull away, but Greg grabbed her arm, pulling her back down to him. He placed his hand on the back of her head, deepening the kiss. "I'm glad we're on the same page."

The End


End file.
